Housing for an optical fiber cable assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a housing, in particular for an optical fiber assembly with improved sealing characteristics comprising an housing upper body ( 38 ) and an housing lower body ( 2 ), upper and lower sealing pads ( 32; 42 ) made of a gel sealing material, each of said pads ( 32; 34 ) being received in a trough ( 12, 46 ) provided by the housing upper and lower body ( 2; 38 ), respectively, wherein between said upper and lower pads ( 38; 48 ) are adapted to seal an element ( 78 ), which can be introduced into said housing, wherein at least one of said pads ( 42 ) is held by a retaining device ( 44 ) which is elastically supported against one of said housing bodies ( 38 ) by means of a spring element ( 47 ) and wherein the other of said housing bodies and/or said retaining device ( 44 ) provides a contoured abutment surface ( 26; 70 ) for the assigned pad ( 32; 42 ).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A housing for an optical fiber assembly comprising an housing upper body and an housing lower body, upper and lower sealing pads made of a gel sealing material, each of said pads being received in a trough provided by the housing upper and lower body, respectively, wherein said upper and lower pads are adapted to seal an element, when introduced into said housing, wherein at least one of said pads is held by a retaining device which is elastically supported against one of said housing bodies by means of a spring element and wherein the other of said housing bodies and/or said retaining device provides a contoured abutment surface for the assigned pads, the contoured abutment surfaces cooperate with the gel sealing material, such that the gel sealing material is urged to flow to improve instantaneous sealing of the housing upper and lower body in the sealing area provided by both pads. 
     
     
       2. The housing according to  claim 1 , wherein a rim extends in a direction transverse to the direction of introduction of said optical cable. 
     
     
       3. The housing according to  claim 2 , wherein said rim extends along the entire bottom of said trough. 
     
     
       4. The housing according to  claim 2 , wherein the rim projects a substantially flat bottom surface of said other of said housing bodies or said retaining device. 
     
     
       5. The housing according to  claim 2 , wherein said rim is arranged substantially in the middle of said at least one pad in the direction of introduction of said element. 
     
     
       6. The housing according to  claim 2 , wherein said rim has a height which is projecting the flat bottom of the trough of between 1 to 5 mm, or corresponding to 3% to 15% of the maximum height of the pad. 
     
     
       7. The housing according to  claim 6 , wherein said rim has a height which is projecting the flat bottom of the trough of between 2 to 3 mm, or corresponding to 5% to 10% of the maximum height of the pad. 
     
     
       8. The housing according to  claim 1 , wherein one of said pads is provided with at least one recess for receiving the element and the housing body or the retaining device assigned to the other of said pads comprises a projection being directed towards the one of said pads and adjacent to a lateral wall of said at least one recess. 
     
     
       9. The housing according to  claim 8 , wherein the surface of said one pad is contoured so as to form a hutch, a higher part thereof intersecting with a lateral wall of the recess and the lower part thereof being provided opposite to said projection. 
     
     
       10. The housing according to  claim 9 , wherein the other of said pads is provided with a dent arranged opposite to said recess with a width corresponding essentially to the width of the recess. 
     
     
       11. The housing according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said pads is sandwiched between lateral holding members, each of said lateral holding members having a bottom contour corresponding to a contour of a holding member rim projecting the bottom of the assigned housing body. 
     
     
       12. The housing according to  claim 11 , wherein said bottom contour of said lateral holding member is projected by said pad. 
     
     
       13. The housing according to  claim 11 , wherein each of said lateral holding members have a recess aligned with said element receiving recess, wherein said element receiving recess is smaller than said lateral holding member recesses. 
     
     
       14. The housing according to  claim 11 , wherein said lateral holding members are received between bottom holding rims projecting the bottom of the assigned housing body. 
     
     
       15. The housing according to  claim 11 , wherein the lateral holding members have holding pins which are received in pin receiving openings formed in said pad. 
     
     
       16. The housing according to  claim 1 , wherein one of said pads is provided with at least one recess for receiving an optional element, which can be introduced into said housing, that said housing houses an insert, said insert being adapted to hold at least one of said elements and being projected by at least one cable dummy aligned with said at least one optional recess. 
     
     
       17. The housing according to  claim 16 , wherein said cable dummy is secured to said insert by a film element adapted to be shorn off manually.